Finally done with treating her wound, Damien walked towards the drawer of his table and pulled it open.
He grabbed a piece of white clothing with flowery patterns on it and returned it to her.
He used it to bandage her wound and motioned for her to leave when he was done. "Please see yourself out." he said to her, but instead of leaving like he asked her to, she shook her head at him.
"Wait, how can you ask me to leave? You don't expect me to sleep in there again!" Her body shivered at the recollection of the hell she passed through in the slave room.
The worst part was the fact that they don't separate the males from the females, but instead keep them together. There was absolutely nothing that would make her sleep in there again.
"And why won't l? You're a slave just like the others, so suffer with them-"
"I am not a slave! You're the reason why I am labeled one today! I simply asked for help, but what did you do? You hurt me and captured me as your slave when I had done absolutely nothing wrong to you. You're just a cruel human being who has no value for other people's lives." She yelled at him, but her heart dropped to her stomach when a strong hand gripped her by the neck and slammed her against the wall.
"Repeat what you said again!! You will find yourself in hell!" Damien breathed heavily in utter outrage, and his hot breath of fury fanned her skin.
Layah's body trembled in deep fear and she gazed at his eyes, which were burning brightly.
What exactly was this man standing in front of her? Who was he and what was he?
These questions whirled in her mind and she itched to ask, but afraid of losing her life, she kept quiet and just stared at him with her face growing red as breathing was hard for her.
Damien immediately let go of her on noticing and she fell to the ground, then began to cough heavily, trying to catch her breath.
"Get out!" He said to her, but unwilling to do so, Layah shook her head at him. "I-i can't. I will stay here with you."
She disagreed and finding her words amusing, he squatted down to her level and grabbed her harshly by the chin.
"If you want to sleep more comfortably, princess, then you might want to pass that course and earn yourself a fine chamber and nice food." He smiled cruelly at her, and when she parted her lips to reply, he pressed his finger on her lips and shook his head at her.
"Do not speak a word. Just know that I would never let you sleep in this room. Don't feel bad though, it's general. I don't like sharing my space." He smirked emotionlessly and immediately shifted his gaze to the door when Leon's voice resounded from outside.
"General, His Majesty requests your presence in the royal hall."
His brows furrowed, and he returned his attention to Layah. "Leave this place as soon as possible. I don't want to see you here when I return."
He warned her, and before she could utter a word, he grabbed his sword and walked out of the room, leaving her to stare at his disappearing back.
The instant the door was slammed shut, she sprang to her feet and dusted off her clothing. "Well, that was intense." She shrugged and walked towards the mirror to stare at herself.
Her face crumpled on seeing how dirty she looked, and with a deep sigh exiting her nose, she walked away from the mirror and strode to a room she knew for sure must be the bathroom.
She slowly pushed the door open and quickly shut her eyes in ecstasy when the smell of a newly prepared petal bath struck her nose.
It felt like she had found heaven!
"Yes! Yes! Finally a bath!" She chuckled softly, and without wasting time, she shut the door behind her and slipped out of her dirty clothes.
She unhurriedly climbed up the small stairs and slid into the bathtub, then rested her head back in relaxation.
"I feel so alive," she exclaimed, and shut her eyes to enjoy the hot bath.
________
"Take all the slaves back to the cell. Training for today is cancelled.", Damien ordered Leon, who was walking beside him, and without hesitation, Leon nodded and walked away.
He continued back to his chamber, and the second he arrived at the door, the guards bowed to him and pushed the door open for him.
He stepped in, and they shut the door behind him.
He looked around the chamber and took a deep breath on seeing that she was gone, but his eyes narrowed instantly in the next moment when his ears picked up the sound of splashing water.
He quickly shifted his gaze to the door of the bathroom, and his expression instantly darkened. "Tell me she's not-" He walked towards the door and slowly pushed it open, then stepped inside, only for his body to instantly still as he saw what his eyes shouldn't have seen.